Salmon River Winter Steelhead  by Matt Chapple

Matt recently caught this thirty inch Steelhead at Salmon River

For many fly fishing enthusiasts the trout season tapers off with the last hatches of caddis flies, mayflies and midges. In central New York the fly-fishing season never ends and the on-set of winter means feisty steelhead on the beautiful Salmon River.  Waves of Steelhead ranging from 5 to 20 pounds, even a few over 20 pounds, start entering the River in October following the Chinook and Coho salmon feeding on Salmon eggs that drift off the spawning beds.  Steelhead continue to enter the River throughout the winter and stay through April into May to spawn. Fishing for Steelhead requires some patience but the payoff is worth it.  They are incredible fighters and the acrobatics can be spectacular.

In the autumn steelhead will often move for a fly or even chase a swinging wet fly, which is one of the most heart-pumping ways to hook a steelhead.  The cool water temperatures of winter, which hover around 32 degrees, necessitate a deep drag free drift, long leaders of 10-12 feet, light tippets of 4-6 pounds, and sparsely tied nymphs, wets and egg patterns.  Rods of six or seven weight and nine to ten feet in length will help control drifts through the swift currents and a reel with a strong drag will assist in slowing down powerful runs, which these big fish deliver. 

As winter progresses, water temperatures drop, and Steelhead will move from the faster choppy riffle water, where they can be found in the fall, into the deeper slower pools and runs.  They will occupy many of the same feeding lies as trout.   Good places to look for steelhead in the winter are along eddies, around subsurface structure such as boulders, areas where you know there is a deep pocket, and in the deep areas in the tail-outs of pools.   Winter thawing periods are good times to fish.  The increased flow will bring in fresh fish, which typically take flies more aggressively, and can activate Steelhead already in the river into feeding.    During higher water periods, look for Steelhead at the breaks between fast and slow water, as they will move out of the fast moving current to conserve energy.    As they adapt to life in the river they also adapt to the available food.

The Salmon River has excellent populations of stoneflies and caddis flies.  The immature forms of these insects are available to Steelhead during the winter months.  Some good patterns are dark Stonefly nymphs and Caddis fly larva in sizes 10-16.  Egg patterns will also entice a Steelhead.  A good pattern to try is an egg tied using Eztaz in orange, pink or chartreuse.  

A Black Stonefly Nymph

A Pink Egg Pattern

A weight system is needed to get the fly down into the pockets and pools inhabited by Steelhead during their stay in the river through the winter. Whatever weight method is used, the fly will need to be drifting along the bottom in front of the fish in what it commonly referred to as the “strike zone”.   Enough weight should be added to bounce the fly along the bottom, but avoid constantly hanging up on the rocks, so a nice long drift is achieved. 

There are three systems commonly used to fish for steelhead in the winter.  One system is to use a weight forward floating line with a long leader and some added weight at the connection of the tippet. With this system the angler uses long upstream casts in conjunction with line mending to control the fly-line and fly and drift it through areas suspected to hold fish.  Strikes are detected by upstream hesitations in the floating fly line or if a strike indicator is used, hesitations in the strike indicator. This is a fun way to fish because the angler can still use the line to roll cast and false cast, but when the water is really flowing it is tough to get the fly down into the deeper runs with this method.  This technique is best suited for river flows lower than 350 cubic feet per second.

Another system is the deep nymph running line system.  This system uses a level running fly-line with added weight at the tippet connection.  The weight can either be added to the tag at the tippet connection or to the tag left at the connection of a barrel swivel, which is the connection between the tippet and leader.  With this technique the angler uses the added weight to shoot the fly and is not fly-casting.  This technique is very effective at getting the fly down quick.  The angler shoots the line by stripping some line off the reel then holds the weighted rig slightly behind his body and flicks the weight and fly with a quick forward motion toward the target.   Shoot the weight and fly above areas suspected to hold fish and keep the line tight and slack free and allow the weight to constantly tick the bottom, and you are in the “strike zone”.  Hesitations in the line may be a strike.  A semi-hook set is one good way to keep your drift with this method.  When the line hesitates, pull up quickly but short.  If it is a fish, you will know fairly quickly, then use a full hook set by raising the rod and tightening the line.  If it is not fish, and just a snag on the bottom, then let the fly settle back to the bottom and let the drift continue.  The longer the fly is drifting along the bottom the better the chances of a hook-up.

One other technique is to use a full sinking line or sink tip line.  This is a good method for swinging or drifting flies through areas suspected to hold fish.  Cast up-stream, across, or ¾ downstream, mend line and let the fly swing deep through good- looking areas.  Once again try to keep line slack to a minimum and be aware for hesitations in the line.  Using a lightweight line, such as a 2 or 3wt, can help reduce drag from the current and get the fly down.

The Salmon River is dam controlled and water levels can rise quickly.  Use caution when wading.   A spill in frigid water is very dangerous, especially if you have hiked into the river and are some distance from a warm refuge.  Cleats such as Korkers are essential gear and provide exceptional traction on the slick rocks and boulders, which comprise the riverbed.  A wading staff is also recommended to help with balance when wading into casting position or crossing the river. A good pair of polarized glasses is also good to have, which aid in seeing the rocks and other hazardous obstacles which make up the river-bed.  A toll free number has been established allowing you to check the planned water releases from the dam (1-800-452-1742 Site code # 365123).

Access to the Salmon River is abundant (Map).  There are numerous New York State Department of Environmental Conservation parking areas.   The Cemetery Pool in the fly fishing only zone up from the Route 52 Bridge holds good numbers of fish during the winter.    The 2a-bridge area can be excellent and draws less fishing pressure.    The popular Douglaston Run along route five between Pulaski and Port Ontario sees the fresh fish from the lake and requires a fee to fish for the day and cleats of some sort are a requirement.

The Salmon River is truly a gem.  There are many riffles, runs, chutes and pools along the river to fly fish for Steelhead.  The cold temperatures and frequent lake-effect snowfall combined with a good hike into a more remote section of the river can make fishing here seem like an expedition to a far away Steelhead river. If the timing is right you may encounter a pod of Steelhead in a pocket, pool or riffle and fly fish for them in solitude. 

Catch and Release

Show respect for the river:

“If you carry it in, you carry it out”

Promote the future of steelhead fishing:  

“Practice catch and release”